


Bittersweet

by AbeerNotreallyAbeer



Category: Free!
Genre: Accident, Accidental Erection, Bodyworship, Crush, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Gym, I'm not good with summaries, Injury, Longing, M/M, Making Out, Medical Condition, Nudity, Pining, Rin is a dork, Sharing a Bed, Sleepovers, Unrequited Lust, cuteness, falling, haru is a tease, haru is gorgeous, slight bleeding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-17
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:14:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23179063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbeerNotreallyAbeer/pseuds/AbeerNotreallyAbeer
Summary: It all started when Rin Stubborn Matsuoka insisted that Haruka lazy Nanase could do with a bit of weightlifting. The latter was reluctant to go to the gym. He hated the idea and how he’d rather do about anything else, like watching a documentary about sea life or chilling in his bathtub, than getting all sticky and sweaty in trainers and joggings. Doing this was like kicking oneself in the butt. Nobody could get it but the noiret hated wearing socks for starts. Actually, he never got the necessity of wearing them, but that was another story.I changed the summary: It's a fiction about Rin finally owning up to his feelings for his best friend after sharing a few intimate moments with the latter, for Haru keeps falling for no good reason and Rin feels the need to watch over his clumsy crush.
Relationships: Matsuoka Rin/Nanase Haruka
Comments: 4
Kudos: 34





	1. Chapter 1

It all started when Rin Stubborn Matsuoka insisted that Haruka lazy Nanase could do with a bit of weightlifting. The latter was reluctant to go to the gym. He hated the idea and how he’d rather do about anything else, like watching a documentary about sea life or chilling in his bath tub, than getting all sticky and sweaty in trainers and joggings. Doing this was like kicking oneself in the butt. Nobody could get it but the noiret hated wearing socks for starts. Actually, he never got the necessity of wearing them, but that was another story.

Rin, relentless as he was, wouldn't let it go, leaving Haruka with no other choice but to comply, if that's the only way to keep the Samasuka student's mouth shut.

"You’ll thank me one day"

"How about I thank you now and you let me head back to the pool" the freestyle swimmer croaked back. Rin knew where this was going «It’s not with swimming that you'll sculpt your body into an athlete's."

"I thought I had an athletic body. Your sister can't shut up about my triceps" Rin rolled his eyes mockingly.

"My sister can't shut up about anything”

"So is her brother."

"Oy!!" and he poked his friend’s arm in a jab, a faint of a smirk danced across Haruka's lips.

He wouldn’t admit it to anyone but Rin Matsuoka lived for those fractions of affection and teasing remarks he received from the noirette, they never failed to send a shiver down his spine and cause him to stutter profusely.

“Damn you Nanase !!”

For creating such havoc in me with just a smirk. 

Haru, who secretly enjoyed annoying the crimson head and getting him all riled up for triviality, decided to further tease him and say “I was damned the moment I met you” placing a hand on his shoulder and waiting for him to freak out like usual. 

"The more muscles you gain, the faster you'll get.” Rin resumed, doing his best to maintain a neutral composure. “You have good genetics; I'll give you that, but ..."

"It's not enough. I know Rin. "

They both stopped in front of the building.

" Here we are.” Rin said before charging towards the door “You didn't run away and I feel it is my today's biggest accomplishment” Haru dragged his feet behind him like weights. He didn't like to be there and he wished Rin could understand something as simple as not wanting your body to look a certain way when you're perfectly satisfied with how it currently looks.

_0-_-0-_-0-_-0-_-0-_-0-_-0-_-,0-_-0-_-0-_-0

"I can't believe you don't know how to use it" fighting the urge to burst into laughter, Rin watched the dark head staring at the buttons aimlessly. 

" Shut up , it's just a treadmill. I'm just not familiar with this one". Rin bit his laugh as he leaned on Haruka's left side, reaching for the big square button in the centre and pressed it with the back of his wrist.

"Aren't you going to stretch??" Haru threw a quizzical look at his friend, sounding more like offended " Stretch for what ???"

"We're doing HIIT , you'd better stretch those inactive joints. "

"I run to school every day with Makoto." He stated in a matterofacty way, his frown still firmly in place.

"We're sprinting today. Dynamic stretching is mandatory,"Rin argued back. Haru had already set his time and started jogging.

"Start slow at least. Give your body time to adjust "He was again answered by silence, getting impatient already with the noirette's unwillingness to listen, Rin positioned himself on the treadmill. He threw a final glance at him. The idiot had already increased the speed.

"You're doing it on purpose right?"

"Being a captain made you such a bossy person."

"Stretching before running increases mobility and prevents joint pulls. I’m trying to save you from an avoidable injury"

Haruka increased the speed, reaching 12 km /hour. Rin was already seething with frustration. "I hope your trip and fall flat on your butt. Dumbass!" then threw his towel on his back and set the incline at 8 percent.

“ I'm not sharing my water bottle with you"

" fine" Haru gasped out the words.

"You're already running out if breath. Slow the fucking machine down ! " Haru didn't bother turning to his direction when he groaned indignantly "Stop Makotoing me!! " then he put his earbods, shunning Rin's presence altogether.

Rin had already given up whatever attempt of enlightening his dog-headed friend on safety measures " do whatever you want idiot. " no sooner had he blurted out the words than a sharp thud reverberated throughout the gym room, causing Rin's head to whip swiftly to the source of the sound.

Like a magic trick, Haru disappeared from his spot. Rin’s brows winged up in sheer instinct. The idiot should be running by his side. He vanished into thin air, which gave Rin a mini heart attack.

" Haru !!! " he screamed in panic, jumping off the running treadmill when he saw a body lying flat on the floor. "Haru !!" His hands were checking his head, seeing if there's any blood or bump, eyes simultaneously rummaging his body for possible Injuries. He pushed Haru's bangs away, making sure he didn't bumb his face.

" Angh" Haru's features twisted painfully when Rin pressed his arm to his left hip in attempt of lifting him up. " Does it hurt ?" Rin's voice lowered, but his tone stayed deep.

"How do you feel??" Haruka looked up at his friend, eyes squinting at the searing pain that settled on the back of his head. He wanted to be lifted and tucked somewhere else, the floor was cold and hard.

"I fell off" Haru was in pain and Rin felt awfully guilty.

_I hope you trip and fall flat on your butt._

"I'm sorry" he caressed the noirette's cheek "I wished something bad and it .. "

"Help me get up please" He hoisted him up, hooking his arm under his arm and the other around his waist. " How did you fall? " Rin asked with visible worry in his voice, still inspecting Haru's body until he saw something.

_His shoe lace._

"Your shoe lace were loose, weren’t they?" Haru winced in pain as he walked the few steps to the bench before he collapsed on it in a heap.

“I feel dizzy” he squirmed, his hand reached up to the back of his head “There.”

Rin’s hand followed Haruka’s. He let his finger press against the spot, which elicited a small whimper from below.

“Haruka. You’re bleeding!” he lowered his eyes to his red stained fingers.

_0-_-0-_-0-_-0-_-0-_-0-_-0-_-,0-_-0-_-0-_-0

Like a staunch protector fulfilling his purpose in life, Rin hadn’t left Haru’s side the whole day and even insisted on staying for the night. Haruka got checked out by a doctor early that afternoon and the cut turned out superficial, barely having scraped the flesh. So They didn’t bother with stiches, which Rin thought were necessary, and only got plasters over the wound.

“You can leave you know. I’m fine” said the Mackerel lover as he braced himself on the couch.

The redhead appeared from the kitchen, wearing Haru’s infamous apron “Haven’t you looked at yourself in the mirror? you’re as pale as an aspirin”

“I’m just tired” a yawn escaped his mouth as he stretched out like a kitten in the sun and lifted his legs to his knee to slip a cushion under them. 

“Dinner is ready. I made you meat balls” Haruka’s nose wrinkled at the overwhelming smell of grilled meat in the room. “I’m not hungry” he groaned before he flipped on the other side, his back facing the disappointed Butterfly swimmer.

“Hey!! I’m not gonna eat them all by myself” He stomped to the couch, already seething with anger “Get up Haru!!”

“Leave me alone” the brunet shrugged.

“Stop acting like a baby”

He just couldn’t understand how Makoto had managed to cope with the inkhaired’s insufferable behaviour for the past two decades. “How does he do it?” the words slipped out of his mouth in a mutter.

A deafening silence shrouded the room like a thick cover. Just when he thought Haru didn’t hear him, the latter said:

“does what?” 

“Nothing” he sat on the edge of couch, took a deep breath and adjusted his voice to a softer pitch “Haruka.”

“Don’t call me that” Rin was close to react with a raging comeback when he saw that playful smirk curving Haru’s lips.

_He was doing it again._

“What do you want me to call you? Idiot? Unbearable? Childish? ”

“Rin” He felt long slender fingers shyly wrapping around his arm “Thank you” his blues eyes darted to the left, bottom lip trapped between his teeth nervously in a way that Rin’s twisted mind pinpointed as seductive. Everything about Haru was seductive and drove him to the edge of hell and beyond.

Everything about Haru was seductive and drove him to the edge of hell and beyond.

“Why are you thanking me idiot? I haven’t done anything Makoto wouldn’t have done” 

Feeling self-conscious about the proximity, Rin rose up on his feet and extended his hand invitingly.

“Now get up”

"pick me up" Haru earned a murderous glare from the Samasuka student before he lifted himself from his spot.

"That's my boy. Now I want you to swallow those balls before they get cold" his cheeks flared red no sooner Rin had finished the sentence. Haru hadn't been paying him any attention whatsoever and for once he felt lucky to have a borderline autistic friend.

Such a relief. 

To be continued ....


	2. chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No spoilers. Rin and Haruka are spending the night together.

“You can still leave. I’m fine”

“That’s no way to treat a guest” Rin slipped into one of Haruka’s many blue pyjama bottoms

“You’re not a guest” Haruka was already in his fish-patterned boxers and baggy shirt that made him look like he was wearing nothing at the bottom.

There should be a name given to people who refuse to change their style of dress and stick to one specific model of clothing no matter what. Rin thought

Haru was already under the fluffy blanket, only his eyes exposed and a mop of ruffled black hair. Rin felt his guts twisting at the amount of adorableness he was witnessing.

_So cute._

“Where do you keep the futons?”

“I don’t have any” the reply came so dry and shocking, Rin blinked twice before it finally dawned on him that Haru was actually being serious. “I refuse to believe this”

“I’m not lying”

“Where does Makoto sleep?” a look of sheen surprise on his face.

“We share the bed. It’s not like I receive people every day. Things like these happen once in a blue moon” As simple as that, he explained.

Sensitive and prone to tears as he was, Rin would never be able to maintain a straight face while saying those words. Sometimes he forgot the harsh situation Haru was in. Living away from his parents was no fun to go through. He suffered a lot after his father’s loss and he couldn’t imagine a life without his mother by his side.

“You can sleep in my bed”

The suggestion brought him back to full awareness and Rin was blinking to a mocking beat.

“You sleep in the same bed?” Rin couldn’t conceal his shock, he didn’t know whether he was more shocked that the two iwatobi swimmers shared one bed or by the fact that he didn’t have any extra futon.

“Ever shared a bed with Sousuke?“ 

Between doubling up in laughter and squealing with horror, Rin couldn’t decide how to react, so he ended up shaking his head in disapproval “Hell no”

“Why not? Aren’t you friends?” It still baffled Rin like now other how Haruka could say the weirdest things while maintaining an impassive face. 

“He’s not my roomie to begin with and ..”

“So you slept at least once with Misouri”

“Who’s Misouri?” The fall must have damaged his brain to a certain extent..

“I mean Nitori. The gray-haired boy” Haruka stretched himself out under the cover, as if enjoying where the conversation was going, because it was getting into a territory Rin didn’t expect to venture in.

“I have my own bed. Why would I sleep with anyone for god’s sake?”

“Are you telling me you haven’t shared your bed with anyone in your life?” several moments of silence went by before the three letters were uttered “Yes”

“Good” Haru commented curtly.

The conversation finished in an open end. Rin still didn’t know where to sleep, but felt reluctant at the same time to ask again. So he simply headed to the door.

“If you don’t mind sleeping next to me, I wouldn’t mind it at all.” A small voice spoke up behind, sounding almost hesitant.

_If you don’t mind?_

_Of course I don’t._

_I wouldn’t mind it. I would actually love to sleep by your side. I would actually enjoy it so much I might …._

“It’s okay. Your house is quite big and It’s not like I’m scared of sleeping in the living room” He walked the few steps that separated him from the door, feeling a heavy weight on his chest then said

“Good night Haru” 

“Good night Rin”

The door closed and Rin swore he could hear the hissing sound of his brain overheating.

His mind nearly boggled by the fact that he was this nigh close to having Haru sleeping by his side. A scene his mind had conjured up every single night for years now and thinking he was about to revel in a new level of intimacy with his crush was too much for his love-struck self to bear. 

He let his eyes skim the guest room. The cushions looked comfy, they’d make a nice pillow. Rin settled on the couch after he had switched off the light. Then he remembered that he needed covers after all.

How did it slip off his mind completely?

Knock knock!

“yeah Come in” 

Rin pushed the door open. The room was pitch dark.

“I forgot to take the sheets”

“They’re all wet” he said from under his blanket.

“Da hell Haru. Did you wet your bed?” he turned the lights on, still standing at the doorframe. 

“I’m sorry but I washed them this morning. They haven’t dried yet” he finally peeked his head from under the covers, long lashes fluttered at his direction “I told you you could go. I was fine. I’m fine” 

“Well it’s too late now. You’re the worst host ever” Rin stomped forwards, removed the covers off the curled up frame underneath and hopped onto the bed “You’d better not tell anyone about this” he pulled up the blanket until they were both fully covered and lay on his back, facing the ceiling.

Rin looked at the ghostly shapes cast out by the night light that glowed by his side, allowing him to spot the silly smile sprouted across Haruka’s face.

“Happy much?”

“You’re weird” a scuff was let out by the redhead “You’re weirdness made flesh and I swear it’s not even a metaphor. I realized this week you had scales on the back”

“They’re freckles you moron” the smile was still there.

“I think they’re blue scales turned brown from sun exposure”

No vocal response came after his attempted joke, just a faint yawn.

The room fell into utter silence again. This time it stretched too long like a heavy and oppressive cloud, almost suffocating. He wished he could drift immediately to a deep sleep to escape the awkwardness of this situation.

Haru’s body heat provided a dull discomfort. He should be enjoying this.

He’d always dreamt about this, so why does it feel like he was put into an over to roast.

He could imagine his face turning into a scandalous shade of red.

For few moments that passed as though they were hours, he lay there like a frozen body while Haru was facing him on his right side with his back to the wall.

“Good night Rin” finally spoken words to cut the lengthy silence. Rin tilted his head to have a final glance at the noiret’s sleepy eyes “Good night Haru” he flipped to the other side and thanked the darkness for hiding the massive blush staining his face.

_He was in the same bed._

_With Haruka Nanase._

T _he guy he had always had confusing thoughts for._

_-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*_

At 2 am

Rin's eyes suddenly opened at Haruka’s soft breathing fanning the side of his neck and it made going back to sleep nearly impossible. Try as he might, he could not shake the unnerving proximity of the figure lying next to him.

It felt like a punishment.

Hours passed by in agonizing discomfort and he could not think of anything constructive, only unwanted thoughts and sensations plaguing his mind. Haru’s head was so close he could practically smell his chlorine-scented skin, though not entirely unpleasant, yet was enough for him to lose his grip and choose to sit up. The room was scorching by this point. Suddenly feeling constricted by the covers, he kicked the blanket off with his knee, revealing the most inconveniently timed sight he could ever ask for. A pair of long toned legs and skimpy blue underwear that left nothing to his imagination, which had been running wild the whole night and hardly needed inspirations. His shirt hung above his waist like a crop top, putting Haru’s delicious V line on full display. With avid eyes, he gazed out the appealing sight, feeling an infusion of sensations, so overwhelming.

_Baffling how just a little bit of skin reveal can do crazy things to a man’s body._

He couldn't deny it was a visual bliss.

And it all pooled in between his thighs.

_Fuck._

Self-aware of his raging hard-on, he let out a defeating scoff, as if chiding himself for lusting over his childhood friend, and pulled the covers to his chin.

_This was wrong._

He should have slept in the guest room. As if his head had a mind of its own, he found himself staring in awe at the sleeping brunet. His heart twisting in his chest for allowing his mind to wander into forbidden corners in his subconscious. The idiot slept like a drunk bear, without a care in the world.

Staring at the person he wanted the most, Rin wished he was one of those impossibly long lashes that kissed his cheeks or those freckles that peppered across his delicate shoulder blades.

“Haru” he sighed, feeling the lump in his throat getting prominently bigger.

There was no point in longing for the unattainable. He squeezed his eyes shut and flipped on his stomach, trapping his erection against the mattress and prayed it would go away.

_Damn you Haru._

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

At 4 a.m

Rin woke up at an odd hour. Again. This time he felt cold because Haru took the blanket all to himself. Rin tugged slightly at the rim of the blanket. Haru’s hands were holding a dead grip, with no sign of release.

“Haruka” he shook him slightly before adding “come on let go of it”. The freestyle swimmer mumbled a string of barely eligible words before loosening his grip slightly and turning to the other side, facing Rin again.

How cute.

Rin laid down and prepared himself to sleep, only to feel a hand stroking his hipbone. Rin’s breath hitched in his throat, his entire body broke into goosebumps. He watched Haru’s impassive face that showed no sign of awareness, yet his hands seemed to know what it was doing.

_Could it be sleep stroking? Something like sleep-walking._

_Is this even a condition?_

The Samasuka student held still and waited for the invasive hand to withdraw, but it remained there. Eyes still glued to his sleepy friend’s face, he slipped his hand under the cover to pry it away, cursing the very moment he suggested going to the gym for what seemed like the zillionth time. He never thought Haruka to be a clingy sleeper. The intrusive hand climbed few inches further and settled at his groin, drawing small patterns in and out and It took him all the will possessed not to squeal like a piglet at the unpredictable touch.

Rin was losing it big time and found himself leaning against him so that he was nuzzling the feathery skin of his neck.

“Haru”

“Rin”

Crimson met Saphir.

They locked for three heartbeats.

The air seemed to crackle around and Rin dared to speak“Haruka” when the boy in front of him didn’t appear to know just what to say.

“You were talking in your sleep” Haru finally spoke, wearing a puzzled look. “You freaked me out”

_What did just happen?_

Rin realized the room was too bright to be early morning. And Haruka was wearing his apron. 

“What time is it??” he quizzed as he rubbed sleep off his eyes.

“We overslept. It’s 11 a.m” Haruka watched Rin’s eyes widen to the size of saucers at the announcement

“What!!” he croaked, pushing off the cover offhandedly.

Rin jumped off the bed like he it was padded with thorns and charged forwards to reach for his neatly folded leggings “I’m going to miss the bus. Why didn’t you wake me Haru for God’s sake you know how far Samasuka’s from here!!” then he suddenly remembered his phone.

_Shit! Seijiro is gonna kill me._

He reached with wobbly hands to the discarded phone on the desk to found out the battery was dead.

“Crap! Crap! Crap! Sei must have called me a thousand times!”

“Rin!”

“What???” he released his tone was sharper than intended because Haruka was giving him a why-are-you-screaming-at-me look. He dropped his voice to a few octaves then repeated “what?”

“It is Sunday. You don’t have practice on Sunday right?”

The aha moment that people must call was exactly what Rin had just experienced once Haru’s words reached his ears.

_Yes. Sunday. It was Sunday indeed._

He completely lost track of days and time. He also noticed that Haru was not wearing the same shirt.

“How long have you been awake?” Haruka threw him an unreadable look, attempting to stand up “An hour or so. I didn’t want to wake you , you snorted like a boiling kettle” 

“Bullshit. Your hands were …” he wanted to tell him how clingy he was, but he swallowed his words, flashbacks dashed through his mind and he could not tell dream from reality.

“I’m taking a bath. Better eat breakfast before it gets cold.” The noirette strolled his way to the door, his elegant legs moved gracefully as he did so, leaving behind an extremely confused Rin.

_It’s a good thing it was a dream._

He bent over to pick up his shirt when he heard a shrill cry piercing the quiet around him. Instantly, Rin found himself sprinting to the room next door.

Haru was on the floor, holding his knee as he writhed with a pained expression. 

“What the hell did just happen???”

As if the pain had rendered the freestyle swimmer completely mute, he motioned with his hand to Rin to stop talking. 

Rin knelt next to him, resting his hand on his shoulder with sheer concern "Did you trip??"

"Nah ...I just fell .. angh" he gasped, letting out a half-stifled growl. 

"Again????"

_To be continued._


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin had the patience of saint, but not for so long because Haruka was making it his life purpose to constantly fluster the redhead until he ..  
> Better read the chapter to discover the rest.

When the door chimed, Rin shuffled downstairs to the expected visitor, leaving a half-conscience Haruka sprawled on the bed. His face was so out of color, almost becoming one with the pale sheets.

Rin yanked the door open, Makoto’s worried face came to view, cheeks all flushed from the exhaustion of running- he could guess it from the way the brunet’s chest heaved up and down.

“You look awful” Rin couldn’t keep the words to himself, because Makoto did really look like he was startled awake by an alarm blaring in his ear.

“Hello Rin” he gasped the words, stepping inside “How is Haruka?”

“Not good. He looks out of sort. I don’t know.” the brunet had already removed his shoes and placed them neatly to the side, Rin went on as he shut the door behind him “He fell this morning, landed on his knee. He insisted he had tripped but I don’t buy into that. He fell yesterday and bumped his head so it can’t be an accident” Rin explained, sounding a little more worried than he intended. He looked up to meet Makoto’s eyes that widened a significant margin before they softened in tacit understanding as if he was familiar with such news.

“You don’t have to worry Rin. It’s not serious” Makoto’s voice lowered to barely a whisper, like he was about to share a dreadful secret, earning Rin’s undivided attention by the moment “Haru had a couple of drop attacks in the past. It is a seizure, usually benign, but can cause injury from falling.”

There were a few moments of silence, Rin’s eyes ballooned into a pair of doorknobs before his mind rebooted and processed the disclosed bit of information “Is Haru epileptic?”

“Sort of.”

To think that earlier that morning, Rin did not know if it was a good idea to seek Makoto’s help. It turned out it was the best help he could get for the backstroke swimmer obviously knew more about his friend than he could possibly hope to know, which spurred massive twinges of jealousy within. Ridiculous as it could be, Rin had always disliked how close the two Iwatobi swimmers were. It is clear that during the years he spent away in Australia, a lot of things happened in Haruka’s life, and it bugged him endlessly that he missed so much.

“Do we have to take him to the ..” Makoto was shaking his head before he could finish the question “No it’s okay. It happened before. There is no treatment for drop strokes. He just needs to be careful when they come”

“Why did you call him?” Haru’s voice rose like a rumble of thunder, sounding almost unrecognizable as it hardly matched his usual soft tone, visibly pissed at Rin’s latest initiative; the latter had lifted his finger in the air and wagged it disapprovingly. 

“Oh don’t give me that look; you wouldn’t let me call 119. What am I supposed to do?”

Makoto, knowing where this was going to, raised his palms in an attempt to calm him down and said with the sweetness that was his voice “Rin was worried sick. You look fine to me. There’s no need to make a fuss about it. Right Haru?” Haru’s frown dissolved for a fraction, almost surrendering to the brunet’s angelic eyes that would crack the hardest rock before he croaked back “ I don’t need neither of you to play mum and dad”

He spat the words and withdrew from the entrance to the guest room, Rin grunted behind as he followed him “You didn’t tell me about your seizures. How am I supposed to know?” 

“It’s okay” Makoto walked back to where he placed his shoes, preparing to leave “Do you want me to leave Haruka?” still wearing his trademark polite smile. Haru simply ignored the Tachibana in favour of switching off the Tv, something he would purposefully do to voice out his anger and Makoto was one of the few people to get it.

_Rin didn’t need to know about this._

He seethed in anger as he glared at the TV screen.

Rin, utterly clueless of what was going on, threw his hand into the air- Haru was being a brat. He pointed his finger at Makoto “You spoiled him. Look what you did.”

It had never been a secret for what Makoto could remember. Even his parents knew that and it never occurred to him that maybe Haruka didn’t want a fourth person, outside his parents, to know about his drop attacks. But Rin was no stranger, actually, he had always assumed that these two were so close and had a special bond that even their friendship couldn’t best.

“I’m sorry Haruka. I didn’t mean to upset you”

“I wanna be left alone” words came out so dry, his eyes still glued on the screen.

The atmosphere couldn’t be any thicker and for once Rin chose silence over words. He just watched Makoto bowing his head in acceptance, as if he had committed an irreversible mistake, then heading to the door without uttering a word.

He waited until the backstroke swimmer bid farewell and left the house before he signed out “That was rude”

And as usual, Haru would refer to silence when he should not.

It was thus in stony quiet that Rin traversed the short distance between him and the tatami where the dark head sat. He gingerly settled himself next to him, leaving a decent distance between them and brought his hand to the boy’s shoulder. Haru had made it clear that he did not want to talk and kept zapping nervously from one channel to another, which boiled to him throwing away the remote control and instantly losing all trace of simulated indifference. 

“Rin I..” his mouth opened and closed, betraying all things he failed to say. Secretly, he wished he had with Rin this telepathic connection to read his mind the way Makoto would effortlessly do.

“You are going to apologize to him later right?” he suggested calmly and felt great satisfaction when Haru nodded his head acquiescently.

“Look Haru. You got me worried, I had to do something. I realized I had eczema last summer, we all have issues.” He paused, his eyes examined Haru’s for any sort of reaction before he continued “I’m not leaving alone until you get back to normal. Well theoretically speaking, it’s impossible because you’ve never been normal to me but I can’t go home without making sure you’re okay” 

“Like he said, it’s no big deal. I freaked out that’s all” he lowered his emerald orbs, which landed on his hands as if talking to them “My last attack was last year, I don’t know why it chose to happen when you’re here” Rin started to understand a little bit of his friend’s turmoil. “So I could take care of you. Like a good friend” the last word had a dislikeable aftertaste in his mouth, yet he managed to force a smile to match the Haruka’s, who looked at him with a very evident blush on his cheeks.

“Thank you” he breathed out shyly, before glancing away.

_Isn’t this adorable._

“Stop thanking me every two minutes. When have your mean ass gotten this civil?”

“You just invited yourself without my permission. You’re hardly in a good place to preach about civility”

Rin pinched his nose at the sassy retort to hide the grin threatening to poke at his lips. They shared a quick look before the freestyle swimmer announced: “I’m taking a bath” he stood up, his hand slightly tagging at Rin’s shirt as he purred “wanna join” voice dripping with sarcasm.

The invitation fell onto Rin’s face like a pot of red paint given the way his neck flared in multitude with the most outrageous blush. He barely recovered, if he could allow himself to think so, from the eight hours he spent tangled in sheets with him and was not ready whatsoever to witness the blue-eyed swimmer in his birthday suit. There wouldn’t be enough foam in the world to hide the raging hard-on such sight could induce.

“Tell me you ‘re not doing this with Makoto too?” when he only received silence in response, he felt the urge to add “ Do you exchange toothbrushes and shave each other’s armpits with the same blade?”

“He did once shave my legs” a smirk played on his mouth.

“Spare me the details, please. You can’t wash up with a plaster on your head, .” Haruka completely forgot about it “I do not intend to wet my head” the next thing that followed those words was his shirt that landed on the floor and he was in just boxers.

“Hey!! Where do you think you’re going” the redhead protested, but his words didn’t deter the other from heading to the bathroom.

49 minutes flew and Haruka still hadn’t come out of the bathroom. Like a wall of bricks, boredom began to set into Rin’s mind. He had whale of a time before the water freak would barge in and spice up this eventless afternoon with his unpredictable … quirks,so he turned on the TV, propped himself on his elbow, and watched an episode of Rick and Morty.

“I hate this show”

Rin darted his gaze to the source of the irritated voice and he would be a liar to say that he didn’t expect such vision to manifest.

A dripping wet Haruka in nothing but a flimsy towel that provided his drenched body with an indecent amount of coverage and for 15 solid seconds, Rin stared blatantly with low brows at the lithe body that sauntered around.

“Your phone rang twice”

He darted his eyes for a fraction and pranced slowly, as if to put on a show, towards the tatami. A stifled gasp threatened to escape the flustered Redhead’s mouth when the other boy leaned over to pick the phone from the small table, causing the towel to come dangerously up then sliding too low– that very blissful moment when the pervy V that the Samasuka prodigy spent the last night ogling at peaked out, teasingly begging for his attention. Haruka’s spine straightened up to push the wet lustrous locks off, a motion that made the wrapped towel got even looser, Rin’s mind registered every move, every detail, zooming on the droplets of water that sneaked their way to the delicate curve of his neck, to the alabaster skin that glistened under the faint light of the room. Haruka, fashionably oblivious to the eye-fucking that was taking place there, checked the missed calls and, as if purposefully, lifted his leg to remove something stuck on the back of his left foot. There must be an invisible hand holding the thin piece of fabric in place for it was the only logical explanation why it hadn’t come undone yet.

Rin’s anticipation soaring at the same rate as his body temperature. His mouth watered with wanton thirst at the mere thought of caressing those long wispy legs, before parting them slowly to make way for his hand.

“Makoto left me a text” he watched a screen with a fond look before he diverted attention to the daydreaming redhead “Sometimes I feel like I ..” and he bit his lips, eyes travelled back to the screen.

“I don’t deserve him” lips still trapped between his teeth. He looked up and noticed the way the butterfly swimmer stared vaguely at the TV screen, looking completely out of this world. 

It took Haruka a snap of fingers and a whistle to bring Rin from his bubble of thoughts. The latter gaped silently at him, still propped on his elbow, his mouth opened to say something but nothing came out, eyes stared with shock and a barely contained sense of elation for a brief moment before he screeched “OMG!!” and he snapped his head to the other side, cheeks burning red “Cover yourself for god’s sake”

Haruka’s mind boggled at his own nudity. His hands instantly flew to his crotch, a very poor attempt to cover his manhood, before he waddled around to pick the towel, but cheeks waggling in full display.

_That was_

_one hell_

_of a fine ass._

Rin wouldn’t miss such a vision for his life. He kept stealing glances at the glorious back before him, probing visual caress against the pretty venus dimples and the firm quad muscles.

With rushed hands, Haruka wrapped the towel firmly around his waist, striving and failing to overcome the searing blush that crept through his cheeks and beyond. He had always been comfortable with nudity when it came to stripping down to his swimsuit, however, it felt unbelievably awkward to be entirely bare. He spun around, reluctant to meet his friend’s flushed face but instead found himself mere inches away from the said person.

“Rin ..” words came to an abrupt end when he felt a pair of lips crushing against his, sending him a few steps backward until his back collided with the wall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments are the only thing I live for with this corona plague killing people outside. <3


End file.
